Electrolytic condenser



Qcfyzz, 1935.

s. l. coLE l ELECTROLYTIC CONDENSER Filed sept. 2. y1952 g f? +P 53 56 fa T 30 J5 Y Je 2y fw ff INVENTOR Z4 /6 Z5 l! Samuel l @ole @WMC/@du E ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE Acrovox'corporation, a corporation of York New

- Application September 2, 1982, Serial No. 031,459

Sclaiml.

An object of the presentJ invention is to provide an electrolytic condenser, such, for instance,

as a by-pass condenser, suitable for use in radio above type which shall have a minimum number I of parts, easily assembled, which shall substantially maintain the moisture content of the electrolyte therein at a nearly xed value without involving the variability in performance due, on the one hand, to leakage or seepage of any moisture from the structure, or, on the other hand, to entry of moisture from the atmosphere.

denser unit of the general type shown in the prior patent to Georgiev, No. 1,789,949, issued January 20th, 1931, is employed., 'Ihis unit lits into a cylindrical aluminum can at the open end -of which the terminals of the electrodes are disposed. 'I'he anode terminal, preferably a. tab, is spaced from the cathode terminal, also preferably a tab, by one or more washers aiording an opening for the former and retaining the latter against the rim of the can. An insulating closure button preferably rests on a bead in the can and mounts a shouldered solid rivet piece extending therethrough, to the inner end of which the anode terminal is ailixed by heading over, and to -the outer end of whicha terminal lug is ailixed by heading over.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are shown one or' more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Pig. 1 is a view in longitudinal cross-section of a preferred embodiment oi' the condenser structure:

Pig. 2 is a sectional view showing the Vpreferred arrangement of foil and interlay in the condenser roll andon an enlarged scale transversely;

Fig. 3 is a dropped perspective view of the parts making up the closure button assembly,

ng. 4 is a view in cross-section on une 4 4 of Fig. 1 and showing the correlation of the button 'to the anode tab; and A In carrying `out the invention, an active conv Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a slight modication of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a rolled active condenser element of the general type of that shown in the prior patent above iden- 5 tiiied, and which by itself is not my invention. In a preferred embodiment, this roll is composed of a cathode foil I and an anode foil II, each of thickness in the order of '.001 inches, between which there is interposed a layer of gauze' I2 and 1n a layer offpaper I3, the latter of close texture and of thickness in the order of .0005 inches. A similar layer of gauze I2 and paper I3' is disposed on the-opposite face of the anode, and the six layers of gauze, paper and foil are tightly 1| rolled together to form the roll R, which is enclosed in' a cylindrical aluminum can I0, as shown in Fig. 1, and terminals, preferablyunitary tabs Il and I protrude from the anode and cathode respectively, at the upper end of the roll.

Within the can, there are preferably two insulating washers I1 and I8, each with a radial slit I9, said washers straddling opposite edges of the anode tab Il, the cathode tab I5 being held by said washers toward the wall of the can and g5 away from short-circuiting relation with respect to the anode tab.

The closure of the can preferably comprises a button of phenol condensation product, vulcanite or the like, through which extends an alu- .o minum rivet piece T, which is pre-assembled therewith. The said rivet piece has a shoulder 2I pressing against the lower face of the button 20 and a temiinal lug 22 formed with an eye 23 rests upon the upper face of the button and enu circles the upper end of the rivet piece. A metal washer rests upon the eye 23 and all of said parts are clamped in secure unitary assembly by heading over the rivet, as at 26, preferably by a rolling operation. o

'Ihe anode tab Il is connected at the lower end y of the rivet piece and against a shoulder 2l thereof, by means of a metal washer 21 encircling the reduced lower extremity 28 thereof, the protruding end of which is headed or rolled over as at a 29, 4to establish a rm mechanical and electrical connection with respect to the anode tab.

The condenser roll R with the terminal button connected to the anode tab, as iust described, being now inserted into Ythe can I0, and the washers I1 and I8 being placed in straddling relation over the anode tab and positioned as shown in Fig. 1, the terminal button 20 is inserted into the open end of the can toirest at its periphery upon an inturnedbead near the rimof than' can. A yielding gasket 3| preferably of rub- V` claim-'as newand desire to secure byLetters Patberized fabric is disposed in a corresponding peripheral rabbet 32 at the upper face of the button, and the rim of the can is then rolled over. as at '33 against the rubber ring to afford a liquid and air-tight closure.

To relieve excessive gas pressure that may be engendered in the operation of the condenser, a vent structure is preferably provided in the bottom of the condenser can. `While the vent strucr ture'taken by itself is not my invention, it may be briefly set forth as comprising a cork stopper 34 fitting into a small inturned opening 35 in the bottom yof the can, and preferably covered by a slit sheet 36 of paper. In use, the cork is sufliciently dense to sustain limited gas pressure evolved in operation, but in the event of sudden generation of excessive pressure, as may occur under rare conditions, the cork will allow escape of gas and under extreme conditions, may be entirely blown out of the casing structure.

By the construction above described, I have found it possible to produce a condenser of 8 microfarad capacity to withstand a voltage of 500 or more, which condenser has an outer diameter of less than one inch and a length of less than ve inches. This condenser by reason of its compactness can be dlsposedwhere but little space is available, and need not-"be arranged vertically but canbe placed in horizontal or oblique relation, if desired.

It is preferred to employ an electrolyte in the condenser of the general character of that disclosed in 4"the prior patent to Georgiev, No. 1,815,768 of July 2l, 1931. Such electrolyte by reason of its mobile character, penetrates the gauze and paper interlay and does not involve material enlargement in the bulk of the roll prior ivcan itself constitutes the negative., or cathode terminal, against which the periphery of the button 20 iirmly presses the cathode terminal tab I5. Where it is desired to insulate the can with respect to the groundingmount or chassis structure (not shown) on which the condenser 1s supported, it'

is preferredfas best shown in Fig. 5, to connect to the wall of the condenser as by rivets 3 8, a side lug 31, which latter may be connected to the chassis'.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements l` of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention. what i ent of the United States isn-1 1. An electrolytic condenser comprising a cy- 4 lindrical metallic container, a condenser roll therein having a positive and a negative terminal 5 lead protruding from the upper end thereof, an

insulating washer maintaining the negative lead adjacent the inner'. wall of the container and presenting an opening for the positive lead, an insulatingbutton having a'centralmetal rivet piece mechanically and electrically connected to the positive lead, the periphery of said button pressing the negative lead into electrical and mechanical contact with theinner wall of the container.

2. An electrolytic condenser comprising a cylindrical metal can and a condenser roll substantially filling said can and having a positive and a negative terminal tab' protruding from the upper end thereof, a pair of radially slotted washers straddling the positive tab and loosely iltp0 ting into the container, the peripheries of said washers positioning the negative tab adjacent the can wall, and a closure for said can comprising un insulating button having a central solid rivet piece therethrough, mechanically and electrically z5 connected to said'l positive tab, the periphery of i said button pressing the negative tab into secure contact with said can.

3. An electrolytic condenser comprising an aluminum can, a condenser roll supported on the 3o of said can, an insulating button snugly fitting 35A within the rim of said can, resting upon said bead and having a central rivet piece therethrough permanently assembled therewith, the

. latter provided with a reduced tip upset over said positive tab, the periphery of said button pressing 4o,

the negative terminal tab against said can, the rim of said can being turned in to press said button against said bead and means preventing contact between the tab of the positive foil and the can.

4. An electrolytic condenser comprising an aluminum can, a condenser roll supported on the bottom of said can including aluminum foils with an absorbent interlay, terminal tabs unitary with said foils protruding from the upper end thereof, 50 an inturned bead adjacent the rim of said can, an insulating button having a central rivet piece therethrough and snugly tting within the rim of said can and resting upon said bead, the pos itive tab retained by the lower end of said rivet. u the periphery of said button pressing the negative terminal tab against said can, the rim. of said can being turned in to press said button against said bead, and insulating washer means radially slotted and straddling said positive tab to Space 00.

the latter from the negative tab, the .latter engaging the periphery of said washer.

5. An electrolytic condenser comprising a container, a condenser roll substantially filling the same and' having a flexible positive lead and a nl flexible negative lead, an insulating cover closing said container, having a solid metal rivetvpiece therethrough and protruding therebelow, said` positive lead retained by said rivet piece under said cover, the periphery of said cover pressing the 10 negative lead into electrical and mechanical contact with the inner wall of the container, and means intervening between said flexible leads to prevent short-circuiting contact therebetween.

SAMUEL I. COLE. 

